


business affairs

by slytherin_chloe



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Anxiety, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff, Mutual Pining, POV Draco Malfoy, POV Hermione Granger, Partying, Romance, Ron Weasley Bashing, Secrets, Slytherins Being Slytherins, Smut, office smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:29:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29927943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slytherin_chloe/pseuds/slytherin_chloe
Summary: Hermione gets a new job offer and accepts before realizing that it was going to be her and a bunch of Slytherins, including Draco Malfoy. Soon everyone would know about the long-time crush she had on Malfoy... and the crush Malfoy had on her. Oh how things will change for not only them but the entire friend group as the months go on.
Relationships: Ginny Weasley/Blaise Zabini, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson/Harry Potter
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	business affairs

July 02, 2006

Why did her room have to be so bright, Gods you’d think by now she’d invest in some decent curtains. Hermione reached for her watch on her bedside table; it was 6:45 am already. She set it back down and rolled over, pulling the covers all the way up over her face. Her head was pounding, and she felt like she was going to vomit. This feeling had become a common occurrence for her since the war ended and her side had won. 

As a member of the glorified “golden trio,” her social calendar was always filled since she was invited to every single gala, ball, birthday party, wedding, and charity function in all of England. It was exhausting, but she had to admit that she had grown fond of the party aspect of it all.

The parties had given her a fond love for expensive wine and, as of late, firewhiskey, but not the cheap stuff, only Ogden’s. She swore the drinks she had come to crave tasted even better when handsome men would buy them for her. 

Last night, or this morning rather, she brought home a handsome wizard whose name she couldn’t for the life of her remember now. He had been an eloquent dancer, and Godric, he could snog. 

She had so many guys pining after her being the bloody brains of the sodding golden trio and all. She would let them buy her drinks and even let the really handsome ones snog her in whatever backroom area each party provided. She rarely took a man home, and when she did, she didn’t let them stay the night; she preferred her morning routine by herself. It was a ritual Hermione looked forward to each Sunday. And… it meant that Hermione was in control of the situation.

She finally forced herself to get out of bed slowly and immediately downed the hangover potion should set out before she left for the charity gala last night. Last night’s gala was raising support for centaur rights, a cause she thoroughly supported. When she set the potion bottle down, she noticed a piece of parchment, picked it up, and opened it. 

_Hermione,_

_Last night was fun._

_Owl me if you want to do it again sometime,_

_Ernie_

Oh, that’s right! It was Ernie Macmillian that she had brought back to her flat. He was a Hufflepuff in her year back at Hogwarts. He wasn’t much for conversation, and the sex wasn’t too bad, but she would never ever date him. She needed someone she could hold a conversation with and not be bored after five minutes.

She grabbed her wand and set the parchment ablaze, then banished the soot. Hermione then walked over to the bathroom and waved her wand at the shower to start the hot water. She undressed, got in, and washed her curly hair. She hated her hair. Not only because it was a frizzy pain in the arse, but because she couldn’t go anywhere without being recognized. 

Grabbing her towel off the hook next to the shower, she dried off and then used her wand to dry her hair; she would tackle taming it later. Next up on the Sunday morning routine was her favorite part. She slipped into her red satin robe and walked back into her bedroom over to a table next to her bookshelves, and turned on her CD player.

Last Christmas, her muggle friends had collectively gifted her a new piece of muggle technology called the iPod Nano. Her parents raised her to have an appreciation and love for music, so the gift was most fitting. She missed her parents more than anything, but by the time the war had ended, it was too late for her to reverse the spell and give them their memories of her back. She still checks up with them from time to time as a loyal customer of the bakery they own in Australia. She loved that now she could listen to all her favorite songs way easier than with her old record player and abundance of vinyl.

Hermione quickly decided on the playlist she wanted to listen to this morning. She had organized her playlists perfectly, so she would always have one to match the mood she was in. She plugged the cord connecting the iPod to the disc player, and “ _Bennie and the Jets”_ by Elton John started to play, filling her flat with music.

Dancing her way down the hall and into the kitchen, she put the kettle on to make a cup of tea, the next step in her morning ritual. She grabbed her favorite mug, one that she’d gotten as a gift from Ginny, and stood there waiting for the kettle to whistle. She knew it was easier with magic but preferred to do it the muggle way. Once she had her tea poured, she added two spoons of honey and headed back towards her walk-in closet to pick out what to wear. 

Deciding on a light blue off-the-shoulder sundress and tan sandals, she went back to the bathroom to do her hair, using her wand to make the curls more defined and a lot less frizzy. She opened her makeup bag next to the sink and added a bit of blush to her cheeks and mascara to lengthen her lashes. She then opened her blue velvet jewelry box and put on her “H” necklace. 

Grabbing her hairbrush off the marble countertop to use as a microphone, she sang: 

_“She’s got electric boots, a mohair suit_

_You know I read it in a magazine ohh-oh_

_B-B-Bennie and the Jets”_

While continuing to sing the rest of the song, she set the hairbrush back down and put on a spritz of her signature scent, Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum, before leaving the bathroom. 

Once she was ready, she tidied up her room a bit, turned off the CD player, and went out to the living room of her flat. Grabbing a handful of floo powder, she then announced the address she’d be flooing to, the Potters’ penthouse in Wizarding London. When she stepped out of their fireplace, Hermione was greeted by Pansy Potter neè Parkinson. Even though she and Harry had been together for almost four years now and married for two, it was still weird to refer to her as Pansy Potter. 

“Oh, Hermione, love your dress this morning,” as she pulled her into a hug, “But, I still think you should let me revamp your closet with some new pieces.” Ah, Pansy was as subtle as ever this morning.

“Good morning to you too, Pansy,” Hermione said, “but my answer is still no.”

Just as Pansy was about to say something else, the fireplace lit up green, and Ginny Weasley, accompanied by Blaise Zabini, walked into the room. 

"Hi Hermione, Hi Pansy!” Ginny said as she pulled them both into a sort of group hug.

“You’re chipper this morning, Gin, usually it takes a couple mimosas before you’re in the mood for hugs,” Hermione said with a smirk.

“Come on Hermione, we all know why she’s in an extra good mood this morning,” Blaise said before tugging Ginny into a hug and kissing her cheek. 

Ginny then playfully pushed him away. “Oh stop, you know I’m only this happy because of the good news we have to share. But the shag before we came definitely helped brighten my mood a bit further,” Ginny said with a wink.

Sunday brunch has been a long-standing tradition for Hermione, Harry, and Ginny. Ron used to be apart of their “Breakfast Club,” but now he’s in Romania with Charlie, working with dragons. She always hated how he didn’t understand the intelligent things she said, and Hermione loathed how he chewed his food and just shoveled everything into his mouth. Even though Ginny or Harry would never admit it, she thinks they were glad Ron was gone too.

Over the past few years, they’ve expanded their “club” to include significant others, like Pansy and Blaise. Their close-knit Gryffindor circle definitely looks a lot more green these days. Yet, Hermione has never brought a boyfriend to their brunch. She had never been serious enough with someone to let them into this almost sacred part of her week. 

The penthouse decor was definitely all Pansy’s doing. Everything was black, white, gold, and dark gray. It screamed luxury but was warm and inviting at the same time. The walls were painted an almost black color, and the living room had a grand crystal chandelier. The couches situated in the middle of the room across from each other were black velvet and looked uncomfortable, but Hermione knew they were charmed to be much softer than they looked. They were separated by a black marble coffee table with a large gold vase on top with fresh white roses in it. The dark hardwood floors were covered by plush black rugs, and the walls were filled with artwork that was majorly white to brighten the place up. 

As usual, Harry was busy in the kitchen cooking, he’d developed a knack for it, and they weren’t complaining. 

Pansy was finishing setting the table in the dining room, and Ginny and Hermione started making mimosas for everyone. 

Once brunch was ready, Harry used his wand to guide the trays of food over to the middle of the table, then they all sat down. Harry at the head of the table with Pansy on his left, with Blaise next to her. Hermione was on Harry’s right, and next to her sat Ginny.

They took turns plating food for themselves. There were scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage links, and an assortment of muffins and pastries.

The group chatted while they ate and sipped their mimosas. Frequently refilling their glasses. Hermione loved being able to have this time set aside every week just to talk to her closest friends.

As Harry started to steer the conversation towards quidditch, Hermione jumped in, “Blaise didn’t you have some news you wanted to share?” Hermione said, looking back and forth between Blaise and Ginny.

“Right, well, I suppose now is as good a time than any,” Blaise said, then cleared his throat. “I’ve decided to finally expand my marketing firm.”

“Thank Merlin! Ginny, I thought you were pregnant or something! Blaise, that’s wonderful news,” Harry said as relief rushed over them. Blaise and Ginny had been together for a few years, but the thought of a little Zabini running around, they weren’t quite ready for. None of them had even talked about having kids in the near future. 

Ginny doesn’t say anything. She and Blaise just laughed.

Quickly changing the subject, Pansy said, “A toast to the expansion of Zabini Marketing!” They all raised their glasses. “Here’s to another Slytherin making it big in the business world!” Ginny, Harry, and Hermione rolled their eyes, and Blaise smiled. “Cheers!”

“Granger, there is something I wanted to ask you,” Blaise said. Hermione nodded at him to continue. “I want you to join us as Director of Public Relations.” Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. “No one gives a better speech than you, Granger, and you always know exactly what to say in any situation.” It was true; Hermione was great at giving speeches and could talk to practically anyone. 

“Besides, it’ll look really good for me if I have the “brightest witch of her age” working at Zabini Marketing,” Blaise said with a grin.

Hermione blushed, “Blaise, I don’t know what to say.”

“‘Mione, you know you want to. You said just a few weeks ago that you wanted to start working again. This is the perfect solution,” Ginny said, giving her a light nudge with her elbow.

It was Harry’s turn to pipe in, “I think you would be great for the job, plus I know Pansy is already thinking of outfits to put you in.” Pansy looked over at him and beamed, “You know me so well.”

“Hermione for Salazaar Sake, just do it,” Pansy said as she looked at Hermione with a smile. “Take the job and be the best witch in public relations in all of England. And I’m not just saying that so that you’ll finally let me give your closet a much-needed update.”

Hermione raised her eyebrow at Pansy, and they both laughed.

“So, Hermione, what do you say?” Blaise said with an almost nervous look. Ginny was looking at her with nearly the exact same expression.

“Yes, I’ll do it!" Hermione said, and everyone at the table hooped and hollered. Ginny pulled her in for a hug.

"But, Blaise, I hope you know that I drive a hard bargain, and my salary better be what I'm worth," she said with a smile as she raised her glass towards him.

Blaise copied the gesture and winked, "I didn't expect anything less from you. We'll talk numbers this week."

No one was happier for Hermione than Pansy. She summoned parchment, an inkpot, and her quill with her wand and started jotting things down. Pansy then called for her owl and told him to deliver her letter to Daphne Greengrass.

“Pansy, are you really already planning my new wardrobe? You haven’t even asked me yet!” Hermione said.

“Of course I am because I knew you’d say yes." Hermione rolled her eyes, and the corners of her lips turned up. "Daphne and I are going to have so much fun playing dress-up with you.” She said with a wink. “It’ll also be good publicity for Greengrass Styling. When your picture is on the front page of The Prophet and bloody Rita Skeeter tells her readers that Daphne and I’s styling company dressed you, we will get so many new clients.”

Hermione thinks for a second, “I suppose you’re right.” She then redirects her attention to Blaise. “So, who else is joining the firm?”

“Theodore Nott will be the new Client Manager, and Draco Malfoy is stepping in to be Director of Finance.”

Did he just say Draco sodding Malfoy was going to be working with her?

“—We are also adding a few more assistants and secretaries—”

No, no, no, this was not happening. She’d already said yes, what was she going to do?

“—You were the last piece of the puzzle, now I can owl Theo and—”

There’s no backing out now, not with this group. She was just going to have to accept it.

“—You can swing by the office on Wednesday, and I’ll show you around—”

Great. It was going to be her and a bunch of Slytherins.

“How is Malfoy these days,” Hermione asked Blaise.

“He’s doing well, just managing the Malfoy family vineyards,” Blaise said, then took a drink of his mimosa.

“Zabini, do have Draco bring some champagne with him when he comes. It’s truly the best,” Pansy said.

“He already has some set aside for us.” Then turning to look at Pansy directly. “And it’s from the vintage cellar,” he says with a wicked smirk.

“He’s also bringing with him a new rosé for us to try.” Hermione almost chokes on her mimosa, and Blaise raises an eyebrow at her, but he continues. “He wants to get our opinion before he releases it to the public. “There’s a good story to go with this supposedly super delicious wine. He—”

Ginny, “Oh Blaise, let me tell the story. I’m better at it.” Blaise sighs and motions his hand for her to continue. “So like two years ago when Malfoy was working on this particular wine, he had some witch help him with it. She was just visiting France on holiday, and Draco ran into her while having dinner at a restaurant near where his vineyards are. He said they talked for hours and went back to his estate to have a glass of wine. He told her about the new rosé he was thinking of creating, and she insisted on helping create it. But here’s the best part. The witch spent her entire week on holiday working on the new rosé with him, and I guess they perfected it. He then said that the night before she was to leave, they shagged each other senseless. Malfoy said it was the best sex of his life, and then they just parted ways the next morning.” Ginny said and then drained the rest of her mimosa.

“He hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her, I guess. He said he would tell us who the witch was when he joined us for brunch in two weeks.” Blaise said to the table and then glanced over at Pansy and Harry. “I hope it’s alright that I invited him.”

“Oh, that’s perfectly fine, as long as Draco brings us lots of that new rosé, I’m dying to try it,” Pansy said.

Ginny nodded, “I know, right! I’ve been so excited to try it ever since he told us about it.”

“So are they dating now? Do they talk?” Harry said. He was such a hopeless romantic. Pansy loved him for it.

“No. they haven’t spoken since. Neither of them wanted a relationship at the time, but I think that’s shite,” Blaise said.

The table continued to talk about Blaise’s expansion and how good the Malfoy vineyard's wine was. Hermione just sat quietly and listened. A lot was going to change for her in the next few months. 

As they started to speculate who the witch Malfoy couldn’t stop thinking about was, Hermione couldn’t help but smile slightly because little do they know that the girl in question is actually her.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading the first chapter, I am so excited to bring this story to life for all of you! xoxo


End file.
